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1997 SGFA Shield
The 1997 SGFA Shield Match was the 6th edition of the SGFA Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's League A and SGFA Cup competitions. As Bonneville United won both competitions in 1997, their opponents were 1996-97 League A season runners-up, FC Chapman. Background Just a few months prior, Richard Berghuis' Bonneville United side had completed the league and cup double, winning the 1997 SGFA Cup Final over 1996-97 League B season champions Rivergate. It was FC Chapman's second consecutive appearance in the Shield after defeating Banks City the previous year. After failing to defend their 1995-96 league title, Chapman had re-tooled for the new season, most notably with the signing of Swiss international midfielder Andreas Brinker from FC Zürich; this would be Brinker's first competitive match with his new club. Match summary Chapman manager Brian Cleland elected to start another new signing, Benjamin Laroche, as a lone striker, with Brinker in a center forward role providing service to the Gregorian international. Chapman controlled the ball for much of the first half but were unable to create any chances in the final third as United's constantly rotating defensive corps stifled the Chapman attack. For their own part, United created several chances as the match neared half-time, with Dutch striker Jan van Amstel denied twice in quick succession; first by Chapman goalkeeper Ben Berthelsen and then by the post from the resulting corner. The first half would end scoreless with Chapman having 60% of the possession but United well ahead in the shot count. United started the second half as they had ended the first, applying constant pressure to the Chapman backline before van Amstel finally broke through just minutes into the second half; he controlled a flicked pass from Mikhail Kravets and fired home past Berthelsen with his second touch. At the hour mark, Cleland shifted his side to a two-striker formation and brought on young phenom Jarrod Shannon, just a few weeks shy of his 21st birthday. Shannon's presence forced United to play an extra man back and that would open up crucial space for Brinker, who set up captain Robbie Steadman for a cross from the right side, which Laroche headed past a diving David Jackson in the United goal to level the scores. Chances became at a premium at both ends of the ground, but Chapman had found another gear and pressed for a winner. Shannon hit the woodwork just minutes after Laroche's equalizer, but was on target with three minutes remaining in the match as he volleyed Brinker's cross into the bottom corner of the net. United attempted to hit back in the final minutes and force extra time, but a last desperation shot from van Amstel was held comfortably by Berthelsen, and Chapman held on to win their second consecutive Shield. Match details |goals2 = Laroche Shannon |stadium = National Cricket Ground, Warner Bay|attendance = 29,103}} Post-match Bonneville United successfully defended their League A title in 1997-98 but were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the SGFA Cup by Banks City. That defeat would be one of only two United would suffer in the entire 1998 calendar year; the other was the 1998 SGFA Shield, which they lost to Forest United. Chapman, meanwhile, succumbed to the Shield winners' curse as they finished runners-up in League A for a second straight season and were knocked out of the SGFA Cup in the semi-finals by eventual winners, Forest United. Category:Match pages Category:Bonneville United F.C. matches Category:FC Chapman matches Category:1997-98 in Gregorian football